I had a really weird experience today. The restuarant in my town is owned by two very religious people. This is not an exaggeration, they always have a bible on the front counter. I went in today for lunch. After taking my order, the owner held up a book she was reading, the Harbinger by Jonathan Cahn. She asked me if I read it. When I said no, she tried explaining it to me. Basically, she said that there is an obscure Bible verse that predicted the events of 9/11 and the economy collapse. She went on to say that the lost interest in Christianity and God is the reason that these events happen. Somehow even abortion got involved in her speech. I just sat there as I waited for her to finish. In the last part, she said how the Athiests were ruining the country because they will not allow crosses and Christian symbols in public places or Jesus statues on hiking trails.
First, I would like to say that I respect her right to her opinions. I may not share the same opinion, but I was not going to tear apart her beliefs. Second, I thought this was the most random discussion (if you can call it that) I ever had. I never talk religion with anyone except close family and friends. It was complete chance that I went there today. So, has anyone else had an experience like that? Did someone push their beliefs on you for no apparent reason? How did you handle the situation? Did it affect how you viewed that person afterwards?

Edit: Okay, I did not check my own forum thread for about a week, and the discussion has really veered away from my main point. That is why I am asking anyone who posts NOT to discuss what is religion and what is not. The point of the thread is to share an experience where a person shared their beliefs in a strange, out-of-left-field kind of way. Just in case, please do not put down another person's beliefs or religion just because it is against your own. There are plenty of threads for those discussions or you can make your own. Thank you for reading.

Yes.
I was sitting waiting for a ride one time and someone sat down next to me outside the mall. After about 5 minutes they worked up the courage to start talking to me, asking me how I was, etc. They must have thought I was homeless or something... Within a minute they began telling me where I went wrong in life was not accepting Jesus and that if I would just turn away from sin God would make sure I was taken care of and had a home again.
I let them talk for about 10 minutes, they then asked what I thought.
I replied and told them I was just waiting for a ride to go home. They seemed rather embarrassed :|
I was like 19 at the time xD

Idk which is worse, I'm glad it was a stranger lecturing me rather than someone I know...
At least I didn't have to worry about awkwardness between friends or anything. And if a friend or someone I knew was telling me I was homeless because of Jesus (if I was truly homeless) I'd be not only offended, but hurt that they were blaming me I feel. So I'm not sure which would be worse between stranger or person I knew.

Yeah, over here we have a crazy pro-life group called Youth defence (mainly men and old women, waste of time as abortion isn't legal here for any reason).

They go door to door occasionally and also have stalls on the streets and rallies.

Waving placards of dead foetuses in my face and trying to give me leaflets, trying to tell me how we are God's last safe haven against abortion in Europe and how we have to defend the country's Catholic stance and view. Bunch of old bigoted, rosary bead thumbing biddies.

MikiSayaka, I think I didn't phrase that well. What I meant was that I would be really scared if someone just randomly started that kind of conversation because I have no idea what they would do next. I kind of knew the woman I mentioned because she runs the only restuarant in town. We met maybe ten times over the course of a year. I know she is harmless. A friend probably would know not to start a religious conversation unless they have only known each other for a short while.
miserykitsune, the same thing happens everywhere. I saw someone protesting a Planned Parenthood clinic once. I do not know if abortion is even legal here (in my state). I think it is great that you take the high road.

I'm a military brat that settled down in the deep South. The buckle of the Bible Belt. There's always someone trying to save my soul. My favorites are the Jehovah's Witnesses. Clearly the Bible allows for 144,000 survivors of the apocalypse.....but there's millions of Jehovah's witnesses. Hmmmm. Math anyone?

While we were stationed in the islands my very Caucasian, Catholic, ass was quite well kicked for somehow being responsible for the pillaging of their faith several hundred years earlier. Never mind that I don't attend church, or share any groups tenets.

Does my biology teacher asking I write an essay on whether or not God exists count? If so, then yes.

*sigh* Honestly, I find the whole religious debate to be downright stupid. In particular, I really dislike it when people juxtapose science and religion when they're just so different. But, anyways, I digress.

I like to completely ignore anybody trying to push any sort of religious views onto me. I'll let them believe what they want to, but I don't want them to push their views onto me. I just...I want nothing to do with it. It just stresses me out.

Might want to look up the definition of religion... just because someone claims to be an atheist does not mean they share a common belief or morale structure as another atheist. Religions are based on theism and/or structured set of beliefs. So while there are sects of religions that are not theistic they still share a common belief in a set of values. Atheism being a religion is a contradiction in terms for the majority of atheists. To say otherwise is an insult as some groups are quite strange take a look at Lefayan Satanism. Most don't want to be associated to any group that believes purely in any set of beliefs. The only thing they have agreed on is there is no supernatural.

Personally I grew up in a very religious family, and am thrown into theological debates quite often. But outside of family i try to avoid it unless they knock on my door or try to talk to me on the streets, they usually don't return or walk away quickly. Of course if I'm bored perusing forums because i cant sleep i may drop a few comments now and then, heh.

Im the one that caused it because i get frustrated when i see lies and false beliefs being spoken. by the way, religion does not mean a set of beliefs... there is only one God and one truth which means one religion and one teaching. Its pretty logical. Religion is the process of reconnecting to God. in latin religion can be broken down to "re" and "ligare" re means again and ligare means connect = reconnect. God is trying to restore what he had since the beginning, at the time of Adam, when he was one with man. everything besides the bible is man's own thinking and interpretation... which is poison. To God liars are those who add and subtract to his word. Anyways, Gods word is vey deep and it is not decodable unless it is revealed by God so pray to God for perception instead of trying to figure it out on your own because 100% wrong, ur using ur own thinking and assuming. Gods thoughts and ways are different than mans.. the difference is like the heaven and the earth.. thats a huge gap!

I don't want to get into one of these *discussions* even though I am an atheist, I think that the people have the right to believe in what they want, but when someone tries to force religion onto you, that's just pathetic annoying as hell, sometime's I just break out of my *view* in these matters :p